Description
Some Lugers read like ordinary pistols. Others read like a field manual and a travel diary rolled into one. This DWM 1920 Luger with Benke–Thiemann folding stock, chambered in .30 Luger with a 3-7/8” barrel, is very much the latter, a functional, well-documented piece of early-20th-century engineering with real deployed-use DNA.
What makes it special is obvious at a glance: the stamped-metal folding stock that latches solidly open or closed, the rare fin-shaped front sight, and crisp Crown N proofs. The frame is marked on the left with “PATENT BENKE / THIEMANN D.R.P.u.A.P.” and carries the serial 000031 on the right, while the pistol’s major components show matching serial “66” stamping across sideplate, rear toggle, trigger, takedown lever and extractor, a strong indicator of original assembly and care.
Mechanically this example is sound. Several small parts retain straw coloring, interior areas remain bright, and the bore checks out near excellent. The folding stock assembly shows expected finish loss on exposed grip areas (these sets were meant to be used), but it locks rigid and true in both positions and the pistol retains sharp markings and proofs with only light high-point wear. Importantly, the frame lacks a “Germany” export stamp, and the gun is not one of the Chile-marked sales that sometimes appear, it’s its own, well-documented variant.
This set arrives with two good blued 8-round magazines (one marked “751c” on a wood base, the other “5053b +”), a nicely blued loading tool, and an exceedingly rare brown flap holster built to accommodate the shoulder stock, complete with spare-mag pouch and original maker marking Kading & Trenner / Dianna-Sattelwerk / STRALSUND. It’s a complete, museum-grade Luger ensemble that tells a long, tangible story: prototype innovation, practical adaptation, and careful preservation.
